1,000 Years of Memories
"Ugh..." Aria Blaze grunted deep in her throat as her eyes tried to force themselves open. Her head was pounding, and the rest of her body... she couldn't even tell what was going on with that. The wind that blew across the grass she found herself lying in felt chill on her unusually sensitive scales. Wait a second... she squirmed as she tried to flip herself onto her back, but her forehooves felt strangely loose, and her tailfin felt like it had been cut in half. Oh Goddess, she was completely mangled, wasn't she?
The sound of Sonata's shriek finally stunned her out of her internal reverie enough to roll to her back, her eyes casting about for her life partner. "Sonata? You here?"
"Aria?" Sonata's shaking voice replied. "Is that you?"
"Of course it's me! Who else would it... be..." Aria's gaze finally turned to find Sonata lying a short distance to her left. At lease, she assumed it was Sonata. Her partner's wide eyes were staring out from the face of a strangely bulbous and fleshy creature. It almost looked like an ape that had gone bald, but somehow more fishlike in its sleekness and smoothness...
"I don't know..." Sonata's voice was still shaking. "Who else *is it?"*
"It's Aria, Sonata." Aria smirked as she looked down. Her own body looked much the same, that strangely bulbous mass of sensitive flesh. "Where in Equestria are we?"
"I don't think we're still in Equestria..." Adagio's voice came from another of these strange bodies from her position on her back close by. "That old fool Starswirl must have sent us to another dimension." One of her split-hooves moved up from her side to her chest, where it found the red jewel resting against her. "At least our Siren Stones made the journey with us..."
"So what do we do now?" Sonata asked. "I'm not even sure how to move in... whatever this is. Does this even count as a body? I feel like I've been all sliced up."
Aria smirked. "It's like a monkey body. Try to think like a monkey."
"Ook! Ook!" Sonata flailed her limbs against the ground. "I like yelling! And bananas!"
"Bananas are pretty awesome," Aria agreed wryly.
"Will you two shut up and at least try to figure out how these stupid bodies work?" Adagio managed to roll onto her stomach, slowly beginning to push herself up off of the grass.
She always was the thinker of the group...
For a brief moment, dream and reality fought one-another in Aria Blaze's mind. Her eyes blinked several times, seeing part of the forest for the first few blinks before fully comprehending the stark white ceiling above her. Minutes passed as she just lay on the small bed in the massive open room full of similar beds. Many of them were empty, though the two to her left were occupied by her ever-present life-partners, who were both getting dressed in their respective outfits. A school uniform for Sonata Dusk, and a pair of jeans and a t-shirt for Adagio Dazzle.
Sonata looked over as she buttoned up the front of her vest. She spoke in a low whisper, less out of respect for those around them than because she didn't want to be heard in general. A feeling Aria understood all too well. "Do you wanna come to school with me today, Aria?"
Aria just waved her hand dismissively.
"You should do something, either way." Adagio loomed over Aria's bed with her arms folded over her chest. "You've been lying there ever since we got here. It's not healthy."
Aria gave Adagio a different hand gesture. Adagio just rolled her eyes and dropped their wheeled suitcase to the floor beside Aria's bed. After a few more moments of glaring Adagio brushed her off with one hand and whirled to march towards the exit. Sonata hesitated at the foot of Aria's bed, but when she didn't move or look at her, Sonata followed close behind Adagio and left.
Aria let her head plop to the side and stared down at the suitcase. Everything they had was tucked inside that one little piece of cloth. Their clothes, their food storage, what little money they had left from their time before the Canterlot High incident, and a few small keepsakes they had accumulated over the years. Adagio had always insisted on being able to leave a place at a moment's notice. So many bags had come and gone, but there was always just one, despite there being three of them.
Perhaps it was for the best, though. Who knew what kind of weird crap Sonata would be hauling around if she had her own.
Almost without thinking Aria stood from her bed and grabbed the bag's handle. She didn't have any clothes to change into besides her performance outfit, usually sleeping in her street clothes, so she left the nearly-empty barracks to make her way towards the exit.
She recognized many of the people she passed by now, but as usual, nobody greeted her as she went. She wasn't exactly the charismatic member of their group, and never had been. Adagio was the one with the charisma, and Sonata was the one with the cuteness. Her? Well, she had her thing, but most people didn't acknowledge her after she exercised it...
The bag weighed heavily against her hip as she pushed her way out of the wooden door, her feet tromping across the dirt outside as she turned to make her way down the road as fast as her legs could take her. Across the town before her she could see people giving her odd, curious glances, but she just gave them curt salutes and continued on her speedy way. Which was the direct opposite of the house from which she'd emerged.
"We got your message." Adagio spoke as she and Sonata formed on either side of her. Their leather boots joined hers, stamping the ground almost in unison. "What did you do now?"
"I fed," Aria replied simply, not looking back.
"You fed." Adagio narrowed her eyes and grabbed Aria's arm, bringing her to a stop in the middle of the road. "We didn't sense any magic."
"Didn't need it." Aria gave her friend a sly smile. "I know how to piss off housewives in a shaky relationship."
"Ookaaaaay, but do we have to run away now because of that?"
Almost as if in answer the door behind them flung open, and a pair of boots stamped out into the dirt. "You get back here you lousy harlot!" All three girls jumped when a gunshot rang out, and hands instinctively searched their bodies, but found no holes.
"We have to run away now!" Aria took off running down the dirt road with their bag flapping in the wind behind her. Her life partners kept pace while the screaming, howling woman gave chase. Several more gunshots rang out and people went running for cover in the wooden buildings around them, but nobody tried to interfere. The mad woman's revolver quickly ran out of ammo, however, and she had to stop to reload.
"Thanks for the good times, lady!" Aria grinned mischievously over her shoulder and gave the woman a salute. "And say hi to your husband for me!"
"Why you little- you get back here so I can put another pair of eyes in that skull of yours!" The woman was screaming almost incoherently as they rounded the next corner, and raced for the edge of town. They slowed down as they passed the sheriff's office, from which two men were emerging in a hurry.
"Mrs. Jenkins is going crazy!" The deputy exclaimed as he and the sheriff rushed towards the center of town.
Adagio casually tipped her wide-brimmed hat with one finger as they passed. "Howdy." Neither of the men paid attention to them, however, and they managed to slip away from the town altogether out into the dust and dirt beyond.
Aria finally relaxed as they walked, letting herself laugh. "Oh man, you should've seen the look on her face when I told her I slept with her husband. I didn't even have to really do it! She just started fuming and screaming and crying. It was pretty amazing, and so filling..." Aria stroked the amulet against her chest with a broad grin. "Who needs magic when you can find people who're totally unstable to feed off of?"
Adagio stopped, turned on Aria, and slapped the hat right off of her head. "Are you insane!? You know our powers can only do so much! Someone in a state like that could actually kill you! And us! We could have all died, and you didn't even give us any warning!"
"Oh come on, we didn't die, did we?" Aria shrugged. "And I think it was worth it."
"Sure, for you! You're the one who fed!" Adagio growled. "Now we have to make it all the way to the next town and neither of us have had anything!" She gestured to herself and Sonata. "We're all in this together, Aria! You need to remember that!"
"Don't be so melodramatic. Sonata's fine. Aren't you?"
Sonata looked away demurely. "I am kind of running on empty lately..." Sonata squeezed her necklace in both hands.
Adagio grunted. "Now come on, let's hurry so Sonata and I can fill up as soon as possible." She whirled to march down the road with her fists clenched at her sides. "You're not leaving our side at the next town, Aria! You're grounded!"
"Psh, whatever..." Aria rolled her eyes as she plucked her hat from the ground, wiped it off on her leather vest, and slipped it on again. "Sorry for having a little fun..."
Aria Blaze looked up at the large hotel in front of her, looming high over the streets of the Crystal City. It was the tallest building around, and its upper floors almost reached the soft white clouds. She had never stayed here, of course. Even when they had money they were always careful not to spend it on silly luxuries, but the thought had occurred to her. She still didn't have the money to spare, but it wasn't like it mattered now.
She pulled her bag inside and approached the clerk, setting the last of their money on the counter. The boy looked down at it in surprise, then looked up at her.
"S-so... uh..."
"I'm going upstairs." Aria croaked in a voice that rang in her eyes like it would be fit for a frog.
"Oh, uh... s-sure, you can have a room on the fifth floor, that's available and about this much." The clerk tapped on his computer for a few moments, then turned around to pluck a key from the wall. "Here, I'll just get your... change...?" The boy looked after her as she swiped the key from him and headed for the elevator with her suitcase rolling silently across the carpet behind her.
She stepped inside and pressed the button for the roof, but before the doors could close, a bony, weathered hand stuck into the door to hold them open. "My pardon, young lady." The old man with the long snow-white beard stepped inside with a dashing smile to let the door close behind him.
Aria ignored him, though she did notice he didn't press any buttons on the control pad. She didn't look at him again as the elevator slowly made its way up the building, passing floor after floor. At last, with a soft ding, the door opened and instantly the powerful wind blew her long, tangled hair behind her.
She stepped out of the elevator into the open air, pulling her luggage across the concrete roof to look out over the city. It didn't look pretty to her, as it would have to Sonata... she just sort of hated it. She hated this city, she hated this world, she hated this time, and she hated the end of her life!
Without even thinking her body spun with an animal scream and sent the luggage bag sailing over the edge of the roof. It continued to spin as it arched through the air... and stayed there. It spun in a slow circle as it hovered out over the city, then began to move back towards her. For a long time she was too stunned to move, then her head slowly turned to see the bearded man from the elevator standing beside her.
He held a glowing wand in his right hand, which was glowing with familiar magical light. No... it wasn't a wand, she realized. It looked like a gray unicorn's horn.
"I think your partners would be upset if you lost this." The man brought the bag in and set it on the roof in front of her. Aria didn't look at it. She just stared straight at the man, trying to piece together what was going on. The man didn't seem to notice anything strange, in fact he casually strolled up to the edge of the roof and plopped down with his legs dangling over the ledge. The two of them were silent until he spoke again. "Please relax, Aria. I don't want to hurt you, or stop you from doing what you think needs to be done. I just wish to talk."
Aria finally moved from her spot, grabbing the handle of her suitcase and pulling it behind her until she too sat on the edge of the roof, letting her legs dangle over. "It's been such a long time, and it seems like you girls have hardly grown at all."
Aria shrugged as she spoke. She didn't care how she sounded anymore or who heard her. It wouldn't matter soon. "It doesn't feel all that long to be honest. Especially now that it's about to end."
"End today?"
"Does it matter? Our magic's gone, whether it's today or eighty years from now, our days are numbered."
"Eighty years is a long time."
"Not after a thousand." Aria fixed her surprise companion with a sharp stare. "What in the name of Celestia's mother are you doing here, Starswirl?"
"I came to apologize." Starswirl the Bearded looked back at her with a softer gaze. "What I did to you was the greatest mistake of my entire life." Aria raised her eyebrow. "Remember that I give explanations, not excuses. I was young, a child basically, tasked with being the advisor to Princess Celestia and Luna, the rulers who would take Equestria into a new age of peace and prosperity. But I never truly understood how they would do that. I didn't understand friendship and harmony like Celestia did."
He took a deep breath and folded his arms into his chest to ward off the slight chill from the intense wind that tried to dislodge them this high up. "When I saw you three appear in Canterlot and start weaving your dark magic I didn't see disharmony, I saw an enemy of Equestria... and an opportunity to prove myself. So for Equestria, in the name of my princesses, I did what I thought I had to do."
"You beat us." Aria shrugged. "Big whoop. Why do you care what happened to us after that?"
"As time passed and I grew older I learned how so very wrong I was." Starswirl rubbed his hands together now. "I have a lot of regrets from my service to the crown... but none so vivid as what I did to you. And as I got older, it dawned on me more and more how little I understood, and how badly my misunderstanding affected you girls. Over time I learned from Celestia that harmony doesn't mean ridding the world of chaos... it means teaching. Spreading it like a forest of seeds, not forcefully uprooting any plants we dislike, which is what I did to you."
He shook his head with a soft chuckle. "I still don't entirely understand it all. Friendship is something anyone can feel, but so precious few can truly understand. I even tried to make a spell to correct my mistakes, to make up for what I'd done. It was to be my greatest work but... I never could complete it. I simply didn't know how."
"So you came here?" Aria was actually curious now.
"Yes. I was getting older, and everypony knew my days were numbered. So I decided to do what they were all expecting and not be around anymore. It would give me a chance to find you girls and maybe in some way make it up to you. To finally set things right."
"How did you even live this long?" Aria demanded. "Magic can't come here."
"Ah, that's an easy misconception." Starswirl winked and pulled out his wand. "Your Siren Stones came here, the Element of Magic came here. Magical objects can bring their power here, even if magical creatures cannot." He lifted it and waved it in front of him, and the wind blew extra hard across Aria's cheek. "It makes for an efficient loophole when one has a magical object attached to their forehead they can remove."
"Gross."
"Science often is." Starswirl slipped the horn back into his pocket. "I came here to find you, using some of the most secret magics of Equestria to keep me alive for the last thousand years. For the longest time I couldn't find you, and even when I got close, you disappeared just as quickly. Then I too sensed the power of the Element of Harmony, and I knew you would feel it. I came in the hopes of finding you, but by the time I arrived, it was already over."
"So you decided to just hide and watch us like animals?"
Starswirl chuckled. "What could I say? After a thousand years of memories, it almost seemed silly to walk up to you girls and say 'I'm sorry'. I have been watching and waiting... watching Sonata in my classroom getting along with the other girls, watching Adagio go to her job and get along with her coworkers... watching you."
Aria looked away with a blush. "I just don't see a point in any of that. We touched this world. Our hands are so ingrained in its history that it would never be the same without us, we were a force of nature, and now that's over. I'm supposed to just 'be a girl' now? Wait the short eighty years to die, accomplishing nothing and then just not being here anymore? Why bother?"
"That's a question only you can answer, I think." Starswirl nodded as his eyes swept out over the city. "I can't give you a reason to live, Aria. All I can say is that I think you should. You may not have your magic, but you have something to offer this world, and you have something to offer your life partners."
"Like what? This... disgusting voice?" Aria put a hand to her throat, as if trying to strangle the tears out of herself as they slid down her cheeks. "I don't care about anyone else, I don't care about this, I just... don't care..."
"You can." Starswirl's voice was strong and refused to be denied. "Because your partners care about you more than anything. You can learn to care from them."
Aria struggled as hard as she could, but the ropes that bound her arms and legs to the rough wood held firm. Her scream of frustration was muffled by the gag in her jaws, keeping her from bringing her magic to bear, or even calling to her life partners for help. Not that she even knew where they were, or even if they could do anything for her now. She was surrounded by a sea of angry faces, shooting accusations her way with every glance as she was dragged through the small town into its center, where a pile of wood was waiting for them.
"Aria Blaze." An older man with a nearly smooth head followed the broad-shouldered men towards the wood pile, as they carried the large wooden pole she was tied to into place. "You have been found guilty of the crime of witchcraft. Your soul has been tainted by the grip of the dark one, and we now have no choice but to send you to where the glorious Mother can cleanse your soul of its sins."
Aria grunted and tried to sway as much as possible, but the men were simply too strong. They planted the pole firmly into place with her on it, no matter how much she struggled, and began kicking the dry wood and leaves around her ankles. "Your golden tongue has been laced with the poison of evil, just as surely as your mind has." The older man stepped up close to her, staring straight into her eyes. "May the Mother have mercy on your soul..."
Aria screamed in a blind fury against her gag, trying to bite and push at it with her tongue, but she couldn't get it out. She struggled and screamed as the flaming torch approached, carried by a teenage girl with a calm, solemn look on her face. After all this time, she was actually going to go out like this... to a bunch of paranoid psychotics...
Her eyes jerked up in surprise when she heard a soft sound. The girl stopped and looked behind her curiously as all eyes hypnotically looked back. Adagio Dazzle and Sonata Dusk approached the field with their arms out to their sides, walking slowly.
Look at these people, they think this is fun.
Look at them smile, they think that they've won.
Look at us people, and put down your gun.
Don't look away, until you see the morning sun
Their voices blended together to enrapture their helpless audience. The power they were putting out was so intense Aria could almost see their Siren Stones glowing. They hadn't used power like this since they arrived in this world... what were they thinking? Their power was going to run out within minutes, and then they would all be killed by the angry mob.
And yet the two girls moved slowly through the attentive crowd, their palms together in the center of the line as they made straight for Aria, while their other hands moved in unison along with their soft, melodic voices. Their Siren Stones began to blink when they were only feet away, struggling to keep up the powerful magic.
They were both visibly shaking from the strain as they reached Aria and split up, letting their hands circle her waist until they reached behind her and tugged hurriedly on the knot. But between the magic's strain and seeing them free their prisoner, the mob couldn't be held sway any longer.
"Hey... what are you doing!?" The older man shouted in surprise. "They're all witches! Take them!"
"Aria..." Sonata stumbled into Adagio as her magical song faded into silence under the roar of the now-approaching mob.
Her arms now free, Aria reached up and ripped the gag from her lips. Her breath came in a deep gasp, and her Siren Stone pulsed with magic as she let out a shrill note that ripped through the air like a shockwave. Any cries the villagers let out were drowned out by her power as they collapsed to the grass, clutching desperately at their ears.
The sound faded when Aria whipped behind her pole, grabbed her partners, and dragged them away from the central square as fast as she could. Adagio and Sonata stumbled after her for a few moments, but quickly found their footing and ran alongside her clean out of town. They kept running long after they entered the forest, until their breath was coming in deep gasps and their legs gave out, dropping them to the leaf and twig covered ground.
"Holy... crap..." Aria panted. "That was..." She was cut off when Adagio's palm cracked against her cheek, knocking her roughly to her back. "Hey!"
"That was the dumbest thing you've ever done!" Adagio was shaking in rage, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. "What is wrong with you!? Why do you keep taking these stupid risks!? Do you want to die!? Do you think we want you to die!?"
"N-no, Adagio..." Aria rubbed her cheek lightly with one hand in shock. "I didn't do it on purpose, they just figured me out..."
"Well stop letting them!" Adagio's anger was fading into tears as she spoke through gritted teeth. "We need you, Aria! We can't make it through this world without you, we... we need you!" Without warning she dropped to her knees and pulled Aria into a tight, clingy hug. "Don't you ever make us do that again you idiot!"
Aria fell silent, staring over Adagio's shoulder at Sonata, who was wiping the tears from her own eyes. Slowly Aria's arms circled those of her partner, patting her back comfortingly.
"We're all almost out of magic, you know..." Aria muttered.
"We'll get more," Adagio responded curtly. "Now just shut up for five minutes..."
Starswirl the Bearded was watching her as Aria looked up from the city, wiping a tear out of her eye with the back of her left hand. Slowly she pushed herself up from the edge of the roof, backing away from it with their travelling bag clutched tightly in her fist.
Starswirl smiled softly as he climbed to his feet and moved away from the edge himself. "Shall I walk you home?"
Aria shook her head and turned to walk inside. "No way... I paid for a room here, and I plan to enjoy it tonight... if you know the others, tell them to meet me here will you?"
"I have no problem with that." Starswirl nodded. "If you would, please don't tell them who I really am. Neither of them knows." Aria looked back at him with a curiously raised eyebrow as he joined her in the elevator. "It's not my intention to control your lives... I only ever meant to interfere when I felt it was strictly necessary. The next eighty years would be truly meaningless if I told you how to live them. Still... if you need anything from me, you need only ask."
Aria nodded and blushed softly. "Thanks... and um... don't tell the others I made you sit through all this talking. We kind of have a pact..."
"I know." Starswirl smiled. "Our secrets are safe with one-another." They stood in silence until the elevator reached the ground floor and the doors opened. "Still, the truth is... it's been a pleasure." He just smiled at her confused look before ducking out of the elevator on his way towards the exit.
Idly Aria wondered how he could be here if he was teaching one of Sonata's classes at the same time, but she supposed it didn't matter. He had magic here, after all, magic that had defeated all three of them working together.
With a shake of her head and a small huff, she reached up to hit the button for the fifth floor. This hotel room had better be worth the rest of the money they had...
The fifth floor, it turned out, was where the medium-sized suites were located. Once she found her room number on the key she made her way into a massive bedroom with a private bathroom containing a shower almost as big around as the single oversized bed that rested under the slightly-tinted window against the far wall.
It wasn't an unfamiliar sight. There was a time when they stayed in places like this every single night. That was quite a while ago, however. Back when the country was at war with itself, and its neighbors. When fear and tension were at an all time high, the Sirens had been at the height of their power. They practically had people giving them money and negative energy for nothing. She couldn't help a wry smirk as she approached the bathroom curiously. They had never been shy about taking advantage of it either...
Sonata splashed around the massive bath tub as Aria entered, her arms swinging a small plastic doll around herself in an energetic circle before bringing it crashing down in the water. "Aaahhhh! Oh no, Batman down! Batman down!" Sonata laughed to herself as she held him under the water with both hands. "Nobody will save you now, Batman!" She paused. "Hey Aria, do you think Batman gets wedgies? His outfit is so... tight."
"I think you need to grow up." Aria rolled her eyes as she approached the sink to grab her toothbrush. "And stop being the worst."
"I am not the worst! You are!" Sonata huffed back.
"Theworstsayswhat."
"What?" Sonata blinked. "Heeeey!"
"Holy crap, you two are not ruining tonight with stupidity!" Adagio called from the main hotel room. "Now hurry up and get ready, we have a show to get to!"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm working on it!" Aria called back irritably. She finished brushing her teeth and rinsed the toothpaste from her mouth before looking toward the tub.
Sonata was sitting more silently in the water with a frown on her lips, running her soapy rag slowly over her arms and shoulders, occasionally grunting as she tried to stretch her arm behind her. Aria watched her for a few moments, then rolled her eyes and sat down on the edge of the tub, grabbing the rag from Sonata's hands to run it over her back just below her neck. Sonata folded her hands in her lap as Aria washed her neck.
"Don't make me get all sappy, Sonata. You know I hate that."
"Yeah, I know..." Sonata hugged herself. "Things have just been going so well lately, I don't wanna mess everything up."
"Oh please." Aria smirked. "Remember when we were fillies? We made that pact for a reason. Even someone as dumb as you couldn't mess that up." Aria bunched up her fist and punched her partner in the shoulder. "Life partners means forever, no matter how much I hate you."
"Psh, you're such a jerk..." Sonata smiled up at her slightly.
"Whatever." Aria dropped the rag on Sonata's head as she stood up. "Hurry up, the show's gonna start in an hour."
"I'm hurrying!" Sonata resumed scrubbing herself.
Aria turned back toward the bedroom to see Adagio leaning against the doorframe with a smile somewhere between tender and amused. "Not one word, Adagio." Aria marched past her second partner.
Aria stopped when she saw Adagio and Sonata standing just inside the hotel door as she emerged from the bathroom. The other two girls were staring at her steadily. Aria released the handle on her luggage bag and moved to approach, stopping in front of them and crossing her arms in front of her stomach. She glanced back and forth at her partners, then took a step back and swept her arm around the room in a grand gesture.
Adagio stepped forward, wound up, and slapped her sharply across the cheek, then grabbed her arm and yanked her into a tight hug, pinning her arms to her sides. Aria blinked slowly, suddenly finding herself staring over Adagio's shoulder at Sonata, who just waggled her fingers at her with a cutely awkward smile. After a moment though Sonata stepped forward to wrap her arms around both girls from the side.
Aria blinked slowly, looking back and forth in front of her to make sure nobody could see her. When the coast was clear, she closed her eyes and let her cheek rest against Adagio's shoulder.
